Pakistan Test-Fires Ballistic Missile as India Border Tensions Spike

Amid an escalating dispute with India over a deadly Kashmir attack, Pakistan tested its Abdali surface-to-surface missile, a short-range ballistic system capable of carrying conventional or nuclear payloads. Although the military called it a routine training launch, timing suggests it signals readiness in the face of India’s threats of retaliation for last month’s militant strike that killed 25 Indian tourists. Tensions have soared, with leaders in both countries exchanging fiery rhetoric. India suspended portions of a key water-sharing treaty, while Pakistan accused India of planning cross-border raids. The ballistic missile test underscores the nuclear-armed neighbors’ precarious dynamic—one miscalculation risks serious escalation. Other global powers urge restraint, worried that provocative moves could spin out of control.